Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi Brings Early Childhood Literacy Conference to Abu Dhabi

The third edition of Horouf & Kalimat convenes leading educators and researchers to examine how Arabic language learning shapes children's identity and cultural connection from their earliest years.

The question of how children come to know and love their mother tongue has occupied educators and researchers for generations. Yet in a world of competing languages and digital cultures, the deliberate cultivation of Arabic literacy in early childhood has become something more urgent: a matter of cultural continuity and national identity. This conviction underpins the Horouf & Kalimat Early Childhood Literacy Conference, which opened in Abu Dhabi on 30th October with the inauguration by H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group.

The third edition of the conference, held at ERTH Abu Dhabi through 1st November, marks its first gathering in the UAE capital. Organised by Kalimat Group in partnership with the National Academy for Childhood Development, and supported by the Ministry of Education and IFA Hotels & Resorts, the gathering brings together fifty academics, researchers and educators from across the region and beyond. The programme unfolds across four intensive days: four keynote presentations, fourteen panel discussions, thirteen interactive workshops, and a certified course in the Science of Reading that draws on neuroscience research into how children’s brains develop literacy skills.

In her opening address, Sheikha Bodour spoke of empowering children through their mother tongue as essential to cultural security and national future. “Our success is measured not only by how well children know their letters and words, but by the relationship we build between them and their language,” she said. This philosophy reflects a deeper understanding: that language acquisition in early childhood is not merely about phonics and vocabulary, but about fostering a child’s sense of identity and belonging. As she observed, this connection enables children to develop confidence while remaining rooted in their culture.

The conference programme addresses four foundational areas: teacher training and teaching methods; educational leadership and policymaking; family and community involvement in early learning; and the quality of Arabic children’s books and content. In line with the UAE’s Year of the Family, sessions explore how shared reading, conversation and everyday activities nurture language development, and how homes and schools might strengthen collaboration to encourage Arabic use from infancy. An opening panel titled ‘The UAE’s Role in Supporting Arabic Language Learning in Early Childhood’ brought together education leaders including Maryam Al Hallami, Executive Director of the Private Education and Partnership Schools Sector at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge, alongside counterparts from Dubai and Sharjah to discuss policy frameworks, teacher preparation, and the role of families in supporting children’s linguistic journey.

The eighteen-hour certified course, ‘The Science of Reading’, targets fifty kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers, equipping them with practical strategies grounded in neuroscience research to understand how children learn to read, assess their individual needs and select appropriate teaching interventions. Dr. Meera Al Kaabi, Acting President of the National Academy for Childhood Development, emphasised that investment in early childhood literacy builds generations with strong Arabic language skills and lifelong learning capacity. The 2025 edition, held in Sharjah, attracted 1,200 registrants including more than 650 teachers and 48 speakers, signalling the growing appetite among educators for evidence-based approaches to early literacy.

Source: WAM

What it means for Abu Dhabi

The arrival of this conference in Abu Dhabi signals the growing importance of early childhood Arabic literacy within the emirate’s educational priorities. By bringing together specialists, institutions and families to advance Arabic language education, the gathering strengthens collaboration among government authorities, teachers and schools across the UAE. The Department of Education and Knowledge’s participation underscores Abu Dhabi’s commitment to ensuring that all children, from their earliest years, develop a fluent and confident relationship with their mother tongue.

Beyond the classroom, the conference’s alignment with the UAE’s Year of the Family reinforces a broader cultural vision: that language learning flourishes when families, educators and communities work together. For Abu Dhabi’s diverse population of children, this shared commitment to Arabic literacy offers something essential: a bridge between personal identity and wider cultural belonging that will shape their sense of self as they grow.